The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-02-24
HUSBAND AND LOVER,

S NtuSAIVA VI ~ MCHiphAo
physician, and his only child. In my
9TH year lost my mother, but the
po'gnancy of my childish grief was in
some measure alleviated when six
months later my father brought me
q little playmate OF my own age. She
was his ward, and we grew from child
hood to eirlhood beneath the same
root, and for my part I can say
loved Natalie Chester as a sister.
How beautiful she was. ia the first
flush OF her peerless womanhood.
II wonder will he be her latest con-
quest?" I asked myself, when for the
first time Llndon Stafford and she
stood face to face. He was my faith
er's young assistant, and perhaps the
only man she ever met who, pam
oplied in the armor OF cold indiffer-
ence, seemed insensible to her charms.
And know this Indifference piqued
vanity the flattery OF many tongues
|t"uAicu A1CO eS p1SS1Ou.
'Does it not occur to you, MYRTLE"
she said TO me one afternoon, "that
our young doctor is man OF singu.
larly phlegmatic temperament?"
ale has never made love to you,
Natalie" l answered dry ly. "Yet it
ought to be Il novel sensation to
meet a man who does not fall in love
and worship YOU"
He cheeks flushed slightly, but she
retorted with q laugh: "Would it
not be q more novel sensation still to
constrain him into idolatry. They
say that natures the least demonsta-
tive are capable of the strongest. feel
ings, and that the spark once applied
to the latent fire you are treated to a
conflagration."
She spoke lightly, but the glance
that flashed from the dusky beauty OF
her eyes convinced me that if all the
devices OF q fascinating woman did
not fail her she would bring Linden
Stafford to her feet. l: who watched
Mr.. Stafford keenly, saw that he was
struggling with q passion that he
felt would only bring him unhappi.
ness. But the hour had come
when strong mems souls would be
tried in the crucible OF a great
affection, and Linden Stafford, stand
ing face to face with uncompromising
necessity, dare no longer fritter away
existence in q dream OF love. The
terrible scourge OF yellow fever had
spept over Memphis. and within
week it presented all the appearance of
q city OF the dead. In their abject
terror the people fled they cared not
whittier, and fear for the time being
crushed all the nobler instincts OF
humanity from hearts where craven
selfishness pred My fathers
first thought was for Natalie's safety
and mine, and to this end he telegraph
ed to Miss Chester's other guardian
who was then a resident in anorthern
state. IN due time that gentleman
arrived to carry his beautiful ward
and me far from the reach of the i'm
pending danger, but no remonstrance,
no entreaty, could induce me to de-
sert what conceived to be my post
OF duty. Shall ever forget that night
when Natalie left us. Before bidding
her good-by had hurried upstairs
for a parcel she had forgotten, and in
returning in a minute or so to find
Dr. Stafford in the roomSI paused
outside the door,
"lntended to say farewell" she said
as, with downcast eyes, she held out
her hand.
"You must think me very cowardly
to flee from danger while Myrtle insists
on remaining"
"Miss Craig's place is by her fathers
side" he answered; "but it would be
worse than madness in your friends
to allow you to incur risks that could
bring no possible good to any one.
And then you are to young and beau
tiful to die"
"And if this parting should be for
Stafford?"
II would say farewell-only fare.
we'll, ;" he replied, evasively, as he re-
leased her hand. Her eyes looked in
to his, and q cry escaped him as he
caught her in his arms, and If e. mans
love ever went out to a woman it was
in that lingering kiss he pressed upon
her lips. | turned away, and, with
trembling limbs and sinking heart,
stole quietly upstairs. For had
learned to love this man even with a
hopelessness that intensified Il passion
which had changedthe current ofny life
into Il channel whose source was bitter
ness and sorrow. ! amnot going to lin
ger over the days that followed when.
as an hospital nurse, I tried to forget
my folly. Within two weeks the sum-
mons came to the only one that loved
me, and l was an orphan. DR.. Stat
ford was also stricken down, and l
nursed him through his illness to re-
covery, and when the scourge at length
had passed away, I found myself
alone and almost friendless in the
world. One day Linden Stafford,
while still pale and emaciated, came
to me and asked me to be his wife. l
knew too we'll he did not love me. l
knew his every thought was with the
beautiful Natalie in her northern
home; but, oh, my God! could not
let him leave me, and in the blind fatal.
ism Of q woman's love I cheated my
self into the belief that in time would
win his heart. And so we were mar
ried, and the bridal kiss he gave me,
in it's GOODNESS, chilled my lips and
heart. But did not marry him to in
duige in vain regrets, and Linden Stat
ford was too loyal a gentleman, too
sensitive to truth and honor, to be
other than the kindest husband. The
first year of my welded life was draw
to a close, when one morning l re-
ceived q letter from Natalie. She was
coming south with her guardian for
the winter and would spend day or
two with us, she wrote. Sheremained
a week with us-for me week OF tor
ture, for, as said, my husband lin
gered often by her side. I fear the
smoldering fire OF an unforgotten love
had burned into q flame again within
his breast.
1t was Christmas eve, and Natalie
kissed me in bidding me goodbye. Oh!
the treason Of a woman's kiss to a
woman, l thought, as watched her
dark eyes turned to my husbands
face when he took his seat beside
her in the carriage to leave
her at the depot. Motionless
and mute as if grief had turned